Queen Victoria Remnants
Throughout the 1880s, most dresses sported a continuous line of buttons down the front, along with a very form-fitting waist, no doubt a tightly drawn corset.
The 1890s saw a variety of designs and adornments applied to the front, losing the very proper looking simple appearance inspired by Queen Victoria.
This dress still embraces the innumerable buttons, but is venturing into the 90s with the shoulder treatment. |
- Dress Design
- Tintype Quality
At first glance and analysis this photograph seems to be a simple tintype, but a very good date clue is quite evident.
Her dress is from a transition period between the 1880s and 1890s.
Shoulders and Sleeves
The dress is particularly interesting as it pertains to the shoulders and sleeves. Throughout the 1880s, the shoulders were rounded and the sleeves very tight to the arm. Beginning in 1889, the shoulders began to gain some characteristics of their own. First, with raised points just past the seam of the dress and sleeve. These gradually grew bigger and bigger until reaching balloon-like proportions by 1895. Also the sleeves became very large, some described as leg-o-mutton in appearance.
This dress is from approximately 1890. give or take a year.
We find the shoulder treatment such a dependable dating tool, a whole category is devoted to them in the Gallery of 1,000 Images.
Browse the shoulder category and the 1880s and 1890s categories for many similar examples.
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Est. Date: 1890 +- 1 Year
Tintype Usage
While the next discussion is not precisely related to dating this image, it can be important in understanding tintypes and their availability.
Tintypes reached their height of popularity as a 'serious' form of portrait photography in the 1860s and early 1870s. They were durable, cheap, and widely available. Paper prints were available also, though the quality was suspect from many photographers.
By the time this tintype was made, cabinet cards dominated the scene with very high quality images. Tintypes were mostly relegated to carnivals, resort areas, and instant photo galleries in larger cities.
This tintype is very fine quality, so it is possible a photographer did specialize in tintypes. Most likely this was an impromptu photograph taken while out on the town at a downtown gallery. These galleries populated high traffic areas of businesses, restaurants, and social life.
Patented in 1856, the tintype enjoyed the longest lifespan of any specific photo technology or format of the 19th century. So, you have to be careful in your analysis and not rush to a date. |